was contacted by Bride A. who wanted a wedding that reflected both her groom's Mexican Catholic upbringing as well as her Christian background. Cultural integration is a specialty of Weddings with Aloha so I assured her that I could craft a ceremony to suit their needs. For Groom M., I suggested including a Lasso/Lazo ceremony, which is traditional in Mexican weddings, and has a great meaning behind the symbolism of a double lasso around the groom and bride (and where the expression "tie the knot" comes from). I altered the ceremony to be more contemporary (and not as Catholic, no rosary) and focused on the significance of the Groom & Bride becoming joined as one.The wedding location was Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz, on a scenic and sunny day. The family and friends of the couple were waiting at the beach entrance and accompanied Bride A. & Groom M. (and their 8 month old baby boy) across the sand to the site of the ceremony. Bride A. wanted to hold her baby during the ceremony but Groom M. convinced her to let someone else hold him, which was good so she could focus on being the bride. The couple spoke their vows while the lasso was around them, then it was removed for the ring exchange. Rev. Des threw in a greeting and closing blessing in Spanish for the Groom's side and we had a lovely ceremony for the whole family. Felicidades!

One of the most beautiful days I have seen at Asilomar State Beach, Pacific Grove, was the setting for the Tuesday bohemian style beach elopement wedding of Bride J. & Groom A. Our couple came from Lake Tahoe, from the mountains to the sea, and brought their boho style to the beach. Striking Bride J. wore a flower crown, carried a great bouquet of flowers that matched the purple tips of her hair, and had a pretty boho wedding dress with crochet barefoot "sandals" on her bare feet. Handsome Groom A. was a stylish and dapper counterpart in a bow tie, suspenders, and matching boutonniere.

Through phone calls and correspondence the bride and I had selected a Weddings with Aloha favorite spot on Asilomar State Beach to have their ceremony (shhhh, it's my secret spot). The spot did not disappoint! As they married on a Tuesday, there was only one other person on the beach (she clapped her congrats at the end while lying on her beach towel). The day was sunny, the waves splashed on the rocks for great effect, giving the photographer lots of ambiance to work with.

Although we had been planning their wedding for months, a wonderful last minute addition was the fact that the bride's parents flew out from Pennsylvania to attend their wedding. This meant that Bride J. was going to be walked down the steps to the beach spot by her father (his first time visiting California), so she was thrilled. Bride J. looked colorful and on-trend in her wedding outfit as she met her groom on the sand. I had added a sentence about the couple into their ceremony to personalize it and they glowed as they exchanged vows and rings.

​After the ceremony they took photos on the rocks with the waves and water background for some great shots. (The groom was so attentive to his bride, helping her climb up and off the rocks - he is definitely a keeper!) The Father told me, aside, that he had wanted his daughter to have a traditional wedding but that the setting was so nice, the ceremony was special, that he changed his mind. Yes! We all enjoyed their day and wish them more beautiful days to come.